Pressure, reaction, and heat exchange vessels typically have a number of pipes leading into or out of the vessel. These pipes are typically joined to a so-called tube plate on the vessel. The tube plate is typically a relatively thick plate with a number of holes drilled therein at desired spacings. The holes act as female pipe mounting ports such that the relevant pipe may be fitted therein. In order to ensure a good fit between the pipe and the tube plate, it is common to form one, two, or more circumferential grooves on the inside of the corresponding hole. The wall of the pipe is then expanded upon installation such that part of the pipe's wall is deformed into these grooves, thereby providing a mechanical interlock.
In order to form these grooves, it is common to employ what is referred to in the art as “grooving tools.” These grooving tools are power tools that have a tool bit that is forced radially outward while the bit is spinning about a longitudinal axis to carve the grooves. One example of such a grooving tool is the GS series grooving tools available from Cooper Tools in Springfield, Ohio. As is understood by those of skill in the art, the action of the tool bit against the inside wall of the hole in the tube plate generates both heat and waste material. As such, it is desirable to cool the groove formation area and to provide some means of routing the waste material away. While forced air may be used as a coolant for such cooling and/or waste removal, it is more common to use various liquid machining coolants known in the art, such as water soluble cutting fluids. While various methods have been proposed and/or employed for supplying coolant in grooving tools, there remains a need for alternative approaches.